Share via

About Barcode font in Word or Excel.

Ka Ho Cheng 565 Reputation points
2026-03-12T07:39:25.4466667+00:00

I would like to print a lot of barcode labels.

I try to use excel to store the list of information and then use mail merge to generate for printing.

However, the barcode cannot be scanned after printed out.

Would any one know the problem or provide other method?

Barcode font (code 39 / code 128) both fail.

Barcode scanner LS4208 (confirmed functional is work and support code 39 / code 128)

Using MS Office LTSC 2024 Std.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows
0 comments
Answer recommended by moderator
  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-03-12T07:39:35.3533333+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Barcode fonts often fail to scan reliably because of formatting, not because the scanner or symbology is wrong. Instead of barcode fonts, use Word’s built‑in barcode field codes, which generate proper barcodes as graphics.

    For Word 2024 / Microsoft 365, use DisplayBarcode or MergeBarcode with Mail Merge:

    1. Prepare the data in Excel (e.g., a column with the value to encode).
    2. In Word, go to Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels, choose the label vendor/product, and click OK.
    3. Connect to the Excel list:
      • Mailings > Select Recipients > Existing List, choose the Excel file.
    4. Click in the first label where the barcode should appear.
    5. Press Ctrl+F9 to insert a field, then type a DisplayBarcode field using your merge field. For example, for Code 128: 
         { DisplayBarcode "{ MergeField YourDataField }" CODE128 \t \h 1440 | }
      Replace YourDataField with the actual column name from Excel.
    6. With the cursor in the first label, select Mailings > Update Labels so all labels get the same barcode field.
    7. Use Preview Results to verify the barcodes.
    8. Print on a good‑quality printer; avoid scaling or “fit to page” options that distort bar width.

    This approach avoids font‑related issues and produces barcodes that scanners such as the LS4208 can read more reliably.

    References:

    1 person found this answer helpful.

2 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Julie Huynh 240 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-12T09:30:12.8633333+00:00

    Dear @Ka Ho Cheng,

    Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum!

    Based on your description, I understand that you're trying to print barcode labels using Word and Excel through a mail merge, but the printed barcodes cannot be scanned, and you're looking for the cause of the issue or alternative methods.

    I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this issue.

    To make sure I fully understand what’s happening and pinpoint the cause of this, I’d like to gather just a few details about how the barcodes are being created and printed, so could you confirm the following information: 

    • How are you generating the barcode field in Excel or Word (for example, typing the values directly, using a formula, or applying the font after the merge)?
    • What behavior do you see when you try to scan the printed label?
    • Before printing, does the barcode appear clear and properly formed on screen? Does the barcode scan successfully when viewed on‑screen before printing?
    • Are there any print scaling, resizing, or quality settings applied?
    • Have the barcodes ever scanned successfully using this method, or is this the first attempt?

    Your confirmation would be very helpful in ensuring you receive the most suitable support!

    In the meantime, kindly try the following suggestions to check what might have caused the issue:

    • Ensure your Barcode Text is properly formatted: For references:
      • Code 39 Barcode FAQ
      • Code 128 Barcode FAQ
      • Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link.
    • Turn Off any scaling options:
      • Make sure “Fit to Page,” “Scale to Paper Size,” or any auto‑resize features are disabled
      • Barcodes must print at the exact width and height the symbology expects
    • Print a single test Barcode before merging
      • Kindly create one barcode manually in Word and print it
      • If this scans, the issue is likely with the mail merge field formatting
    • Try testing with a standards‑compliant font to see if the barcode can be scanned so that we can quickly rule out a font issue

    I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.

    Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.

    Any updates you’re able to share would be really helpful. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing how things are going! 

    Thank you for your time and patience.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in [our documentation] to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. Сергей Суслов 0 Reputation points
    2026-03-17T17:11:49.4266667+00:00

    Hi. I had the same problem. I was really surprised that all the solutions I found online involved either macros, add-ins, or third-party APIs. And at our company, we're forbidden from installing them for security reasons. Here's the solution, which I created myself in a few months :)

    https://suslov0.gumroad.com/l/amiracle-code128bc-excel-barcode-generator

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.